r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 22d ago
Official Discussion Official Discussion - Heart of the Beast [SPOILERS] Spoiler
Poll
If you've seen the film, please rate it at this poll
If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here
Rankings
Click here to see the rankings of 2025 films
Click here to see the rankings for every poll done
Heart of the Beast
Summary
After a harrowing plane crash, a Special Forces officer and his combat dog find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements.
Director David Ayer
Writer Cameron Alexander
Cast
- Brad Pitt as James Belmont
- J.K. Simmons
- Anna Lambe
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 69
VOD / Release In theaters — September 25, 2026
Trailer Official Trailer
165
u/older_dude85 20d ago
when odin moaned after pitt died, it reminded me of my lab moaning and howling when we had to put my golden down due to cancer, she knew her buddy had passed and made those same noises as he passed. heart wrenching
→ More replies (2)
117
u/Lucky_Chaarmss 20d ago
Just when you think everything is fine they throw in the swamp of sadness.
35
u/LTPRWSG420 17d ago
I got some Lord of the Rings vibes from this film, that part reminded me of the Dead Marshes.
→ More replies (2)22
u/AgentDaleBCooper 13d ago
Same. The woods in general. Some of the music. And JK Simmons character reminded me of Tom Bombadil.
→ More replies (2)6
219
u/poothrower37 22d ago
Immediately went home and gave my dogs some love
67
u/Antique_Nebula192 20d ago
Oden deserves a Best actor nomination. Can the Academy introduce two awards: Kid actor and best animal actor.
→ More replies (3)39
u/No_Idea_Guy 17d ago
And best animal stunt double. Odin is mainly played by Uber the retired mountain rescue dog, while his sons Ryker, Zika, Hondo handled the stunts for their dad.
17
→ More replies (3)5
130
u/bluerocker888 21d ago
Its sad, very sad movie. I wish I hadn't watched it. My Dad had a heart attack on August 3 he survived doing decent my best favorite dog passed on the 16th ive cried until I cant. Just starting to get over it and now the movie brought all that back. I should have left. I cried all the way home. Im still sick to my stomach. That will teach me to read up before going to the theaters. I may never go again.
Its midnight and im so depressed and upset I cant sleep. A big burley motorcycle riding carpenter just wiped out... Ive had some very dark thought in the last few weeks. I reached out to my doctor who did nothing told me to wait another month and we would talk. Not sure i will make it that long.
87
u/Airaen 21d ago
With all due respect, you're not going to get over it. It's not something that ever passes, it just dulls with time. The universe has a funny way of reminding us of things that hurt us, but that doesn't mean that we should forget them.
The fact that this movie hit multiple personal points for you must have felt like some sort of acknowledgement of the pain you've experienced. Don't let it ruin your enjoyment of the movie, but let it remind you of the joy that you've had in your life - because that's definitely worth remembering.
13
u/Royal-Archer7492 20d ago
You are right about "not getting over it." A very close family member passed seven years ago, and my big goofy dog died last year and I'm not over either thing. You get through the days and the hurt dulls. It's what allows humans to carry on. You made a nice comment and didn't sneer at someone else's pain. Good
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (1)5
34
u/OnePinginRamius 18d ago
Hey brother, let's talk.
If you don't like talking on here send me a message. Dump all that shit out on me and we'll get you through this.
Think of all the stuff we've survived to get to this moment. After everything that should've killed me I'm still here dammit. You are too.
14
u/bluerocker888 18d ago
Thanks my friend! Im feeling a little better now. Yeah I never thought id see 30 now im getting ready ro turn 45. Been riding sport bikes for 20 years. Its a miracle im here. I never dreamed I'd catch depression. Its like riding a Roller- coaster thats hard to get off of
→ More replies (1)11
u/OnePinginRamius 18d ago
I just turned 41 and I've been riding my 1966 BMW R69S and my 76 Honda 750 for 10 years. I'm right there with you!
I've made it in and out of depression for the last six years. It sucks that we have to learn new things about ourselves but that's the best thing. Whenever you learn that you can trick yourself into feeling better that makes things easier and more understandable.
We call that mental toughness. You've got it in you and you're building right now.
8
u/bluerocker888 18d ago
I leaned on a 2000 kawasaki zx9-r. Everyone said id get killed. Somehow I survived and wanted more power so in 2009 I traded my RZR for a stretched and lowered Hayabusa drag bike. I rode NC curvy roads with it. That thing handled awful! But man would it go down a straight.
6
u/OnePinginRamius 18d ago
Hot damn dude! You've definitely got more stones than I do lol. I'm more worried about dual drum brakes giving me only one vote when I want to stop on my vintage ladies!
See that's great that you have something that you can be proud of and gives you an amazing feeling when you ride!
Next time you feel like shit in the next couple days, detail the hell out of that thing!
I'm talking spray the chain, wash n wax, and bust out the toothbrush for the rims. Go to town on it. Work through that shit time with physically taking care of something that takes care of you. Once you're done you can proudly look on your work.
Most times after I'm done detailing mine I just grab a chair and my favorite beer and stare at it!
→ More replies (4)22
17
u/Okaysaid 20d ago
That’s how you know it’s a good movie. As someone who’s been in the dark and honestly (still in the dark but at least I have a flashlight and have learned to navigate) that pain and emotion you feel are actually good things. The movie was just a way for you to expel that emotion that you’ve had repressed or suppressed. Either way like I said those are good things because that emotion is what ties you to everything you love most. Which then you can ask yourself would you have rather never known that love at all to avoid this pain? In highly emotional situations you would say absolutely YES! But the world goes on and when you are in a better spot mentally think about all of the good and love that has come even though life is short it is better to of experienced it. There are many out there that have never even had that opportunity. Only you know the unique profound love you experienced And experience cherish and appreciate it
6
u/Royal-Archer7492 20d ago
That is one of the most patient, lovely answers I've ever read on here. As far as I'm concerned, the advice was completely appropriate and correct, not candy sweet but encouraging. I especially liked the comment that at least you have a flashlight and are learning to navigate. If you can manage to drum up even a little bit of optimism every day, ignore the naysayers and those you expect to help but they don't, and get on with your life the best way you can, that's a big part of the battle. And human.
To both you and bluerocker888 I send my best thoughts and good wishes. To the cynics who would mock someone sending "good wishes" I thumb my nose at you. Good wishes from another human are like an oasis. They don't get you through the whole trip, but knowing they exist can get you from one point to the next.
As far as the movie is concerned, I had a big smart, loyal, goofy dog who died last year and I'm still not over it. I was interested in seeing this movie because of the big dog and Brad Pitt, but specifically googled asking if the dog died. As long as I knew that, I was ok to go.
→ More replies (1)8
u/Critical-Wafer8517 20d ago
Hey man, the movie really stirred up my feelings of grief and loss as well. You can reply here and we can chat through it so you can hang on until your doctor appointment.
16
u/pigletsquiglet 21d ago
I'm not in the USA and it sounds like you are, but I think this is the equivalent of our Samaritans service. Please reach out and talk to someone confidentially, trauma and grief are real and you don't have to handle it alone.
6
5
u/thinkingcarefully 20d ago
Oh my gosh. You will find a way through. You will. You are human, but you are strong. We all are somehow. My Mom passed from Covid a few years ago and my life flashed before my eyes and I said “I can’t do this, I’m too young to live my whole life without my Mom” and somehow, I have done it. You find a way through. If you need to, call your doctor again and tell them point blank you need help, meds, wtv. My dad had two strokes in April and I got on anxiety meds and they’ve helped so much. I’m sending you big, big hugs, and prayers. You’re not alone. Life is hard but it is also beautiful and we find a way through.
→ More replies (1)7
u/Its_Not_A_Prybar 12d ago
Please make it that long, there has to be at least one person in your life who would miss you, and they are worth staying for. Odin didn't give up, you must not give up. You need a different doctor.
36 years old, never cried over a movie before. But this one got me just like you. Depressed, crying, sick to my stomach. I just laughed while crying when reading about your description of yourself wiped out, just like me. Not laughing at you, just the absurdity of us melting down over a damn movie.
My husband's dad died unexpectedly in July, right after my dog barely survived a terrible illness. The events have torn his family apart. My grandpa just died last week. Our good friends' 21 year old son just survived an attempt to wrap his truck around a tree. It's been a difficult year. We are going to be ok, even if we are haunted by the reflection of an aurora in a dog's eyes and his howls of grief. I will not watch the movie again though. Be ok man, eventually, we will all be ok.
→ More replies (2)5
u/DilKaDariyaBehHiGaya 19d ago
Hey bud, whatever you're going through will eventually start to feel okay. I know it's hard but try to get some exercise in. Also, life is like this. Eventually we all have to leave this earth and meet our favourite people. I hope god gives you strength to overcome this. Please take care!
6
→ More replies (13)4
u/Conscious_Pair_326 16d ago
This may sound trivial but just be still and take deep, long cleansing breaths. Thats all your body needs. Air. Maybe consider being of service in some way either to others who may need it or volunteering with animals. It will take you out of yourself and allow that energy to become productive and release good endorphins. You are still here. You matter.
→ More replies (1)
132
u/joyoveryou 21d ago
Haven’t cried this hard at a movie in a long ass time.
38
u/Conscious_Spend_1071 19d ago
Yeah I just watched. Personally it's just me and my lovely doggie facing a very tough life alone together recently, living amongst the Welsh mountains, so this movie felt close to home. She has helped keep me safe (and sane) in some very difficult situations. The ending really hit me. I thought they were just going to do a Hollywood predictable ending and Odin was going to take the woman back to where he was and it would be a happy ending. And then he started narrating his letter and I couldn't believe it. I really need to look after myself so I can stay with my baby and give her all the love :(
13
u/HeelerDawg 19d ago
We don’t deserve dogs… thank god we have them though. Before the narration of the letter you already knew he is gone right? It was very emotional for sure.
→ More replies (3)10
u/Conscious_Spend_1071 19d ago
It's like he saw 'the Light' among the northern lights just before he died ...and then in the morning Odin howled and left him because he knew he was gone. Looking back they made it clear he wasn't going to make it. I guess I just didn't want to believe it
12
u/Scary-Masterpiece-67 17d ago
Same! But James knew Odin wouldn't leave him until he'd actually died. Hence the letter starting with "if you're reading this, I'm dead".
9
15
u/bluerocker888 20d ago
Same here, I ran across the parking lot and cried all the way home. I could hardly see how to drive. I even cried a little today. That movie brought back some recent bad memories.
9
u/First_Preference_618 19d ago
Oh god. I started crying 30 seconds in and didn’t really stop until well after we got home.
→ More replies (2)4
u/DecidiousLarch 18d ago
Two days later, I have teared up no fewer than six times seeing clips, etc.
143
u/djangobhubhu 21d ago
People are overanalyzing this film too much. Sure, a satellite phone ends this movie in 20 minute. But why does everyone seems to have a problem with how he dies, but not all the other unrealistic stuff like a German Shepherd fighting multiple wolves, or him surviving in the water after having a heart attack or after hitting his head multiple times. He probably just died of exhaustion, not because of the final incline which he couldn't climb.
It's predictable but it's also really emotional and enjoyable. The dog is fantastic. Gonna take my dog to his favorite place tomorrow.
115
u/ThatLaloBoy 20d ago
At the risk of being one of those that are over analyzing it, I think he died because of blood loss. That’s why they showed the camera cut of the blood flowing like water and his skin turning darker as he got closer to dying.
He already had the broken arm that was bleeding and he suffered a ton of puncture wounds on his abdomen, legs, and broken arm. What made it worse was taking that entire bottle of aspirin over the course of 5 days, which thinned out his blood and slowed down the ability for his wounds to clot. Combine that with the physical strain and it’s a miracle he made it as far as he did (within the “realism” of the movie)
54
u/ImplementEffective32 20d ago
It was definitely from blood loss, that bite wound on his side was too gnarly it needed immediate care. When I first saw how bad he was bleeding on the rock, that was the first moment of oh shi he's not gonna make it
30
u/WillingnessFamiliar6 19d ago
He was also taking alot of aspirin for the heart attack and it thins your blood.
19
u/DecidiousLarch 18d ago
Winner! I’m a 15-year WFR, and the wound care/treatment was pretty spot on, even the care for the open fracture. Pull traction, splint, sling, keep walking.
25
u/OvertonRider 19d ago
They showed a direct shot of him being bitten on the stomach by a huge wolf, the resulting deep wound to his abdomen and blood pouring from it hours later twice
My interpretation was they were inviting the viewer to draw an inference that this was a serious and potentially fatal wound
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (2)16
u/Billshotdogs 18d ago
I thought he knew he was going to die just trying to get Odin close to the road
4
92
u/UnrecognizedHero 20d ago
How’s this for over analyzing, I don’t think he survived the plane crash. Lots of Greek/roman underworld imagery was taking place. It’s starts with him meeting the boatman and he gives him two coins to enter the underworld (2 beers), he’s traveling along the river (Styx), and his journey ends with resting in the sunny fields of Elysium. If anything I think he was a spiritual guide for Odin.
40
u/Royal-Archer7492 19d ago
I like your idea that Simmons was the Boatman to the Underworld, and took his fee in two bottles of Belgian beer, maybe a prepayment in case James did survive the crash? He, the Boatman, did remark that James was further out than anybody he'd seen before. It adds another layer of thought to the story.
Here's another layer - as appalled as James was with humanity in general and maybe some of his own choices, as injured as he was, he still had a little bit of hope left. He didn't turn cruel to the dog, he didn't just sit and curse the world as he bled out. He spent his last remaining minutes of life hoping there was still some good left in the world, writing a letter to see to it that Odin would be cared for. The Heart of the Beast the title refers to wasn't the dog, it was the man.
→ More replies (1)35
u/IDriveOthersInsane 16d ago
There's a lot of Viking references as well. The dog's name is Odin and the first person they met in the film is a wandering stranger dressed in furs with a hat who shares a drink and a story then disappears while leaving a bit of knowledge before an arduous journey. You hear ravens throughout the movie but don't see them. The bear, the wolves, the dog's metal teeth, the "opening of the gates of Valhalla" in the borealis, the tree of life soaking up his blood... There's a LOT of Viking imagery and references.
14
u/ThatLaloBoy 20d ago
Huh. I kinda like this theory. It would make an already good film that much more interesting.
→ More replies (1)9
u/Albertfapstein 20d ago
He meets the boatman before the crash happens, and typically the payment to Charon was one coin.
10
u/Optimus_Spider07 20d ago
Well technically he traded the second one for the book
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)8
u/ThatLaloBoy 19d ago
This might sound like a stupid question, but would the dog also require a coin? That might explain why he paid two: one for himself and one for the dog.
→ More replies (1)6
u/Conscious_Spend_1071 19d ago
Oh man that's even more sad! Just when I was starting to feel betterer! That he was a spiritual guide to travel with Odin's consciousness and get him safe! :(
→ More replies (3)5
u/_Maui_ 8d ago
It’s funny. After seeing the movie the only thing that never really made sense to the narrative was JK Simmons character. I mean, take their whole interaction out and nothing in the movie changes. He’d still have flown out the next day, crashed, etc. It literally changed nothing.
But recasting him as the boatman on the River Styx. Suddenly there is a reason.
I like it.
26
u/DecidiousLarch 18d ago
The wolves were biting at his flak jacket and also his carbon fiber/titanium leg. Odin merely fought them off. But there is some credibility to a combat vet dog having a much more ferocious intensity than an ordinary shepherd. Plus, not every wolf is 150 lb killer. I am a big wolf advocate. I’ve read all the books on their reintroduction, current studies, debates, etc. That scene absolutely requires some willing suspension of disbelief, but it’s not that far fetched.
Pun totally intended.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (9)3
u/TestCompetitive4673 17d ago
There is also an interpretation that this "one final mission" is ultimately what leads to his death (either as the movie begins or at the end through blood loss). Pitt's character always has to move forwards in the movie. If he just stops and rests up, he likely survives or gives him a better chance of surviving. He doesn't have to fly through a storm, he could stop and hunt (which surely a green beret was taught how to), he could spend a few days in one place healing. It could even be argued that staying still near where his plane went down and from roughly where he did his may day call is the wiser call in the short term.
But his life needs that mission to have meaning, his mission here that he has to get Odin to safety. Personally, I love the mythology interpretation but absolutely think the movie works just as a man Vs wild too.
224
u/jayeddy99 22d ago edited 21d ago
JK Simmons character felt like he was super natural . Maybe he was death or a spirit of the Forrest. Him going off on his boat gave off Charon on the river styx vibe
Also when they crossed that one marsh it felt like “The valley of the shadow of death”
41
u/ImplementEffective32 20d ago
When you look at it like that and add in how un modern his kayak/boat was definitely could of been something else, even leaves a book with a perfect quote summing up james and Odin
14
u/Lower_Description884 19d ago
His last quote from the book made me cry right there.
6
u/Shakespeare257 14d ago
The book quote is basically the message of the movie.
Man alone dies. Running away from people into the wilderness to seek solitude and respite ends only one way - lonely death under a tree.
It's not the wolf bites that killed James. It's his self-prescribed solitude.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (8)45
u/Puppet_Reviews 22d ago
I was pretty sure he was Charon, too- but it's super clear that Pitt dies at the beginning of the movie, when it cuts back.
91
u/StrLord_Who 21d ago
It is not clear. I thought Odin was waiting for someone so he could bring help back.
35
u/Jl_15 21d ago
I kept that hope alive even after seeing clearly deceased Pitt on that rock. I thought maybe he's just kinda comatose.
24
u/ImplementEffective32 20d ago
Ngl I had to double take when they showed James body that following morning just to be sure, like yeah he looks ice cold he's gone 🤬 😂.
→ More replies (1)26
u/Ok-Apricot3936 20d ago
The mournful howl after that is where it sent me crying through the rest of the movie and had to put my hoodie up as i was leaving the theater :(
20
u/Okaysaid 20d ago
Yup you’re not the only one I made an audible cry thinking about my baby girl who died in my arms. On her last day she waited until I got home because no matter how bad she was she would be excited that I was home. Just typing this is making me tear up again. Fuck
6
10
u/Thadark_knight11 20d ago
Dude: the way they started playing that song as he was climbing the hill gave me a bit of hope that he’d make it. Such a rug pull.
→ More replies (1)6
u/ImplementEffective32 20d ago
Right, he makes it to the top of the hill just to see more wilderness and no road in sight
→ More replies (2)6
u/bluerocker888 20d ago
I cried all the way home, could hardly see how to drive. I doubt ever going to the theater again
→ More replies (1)11
u/existenceawareness 20d ago edited 20d ago
I appreciate subverting of expectations, from the first clip of the film you expect the dog will be heroically getting help.
My problem is, how could he be so certain he'll be dead? The note is like, "Here's all my bank info, don't look for my body!" but couldn't he end up laying there dying for days while a search party could've been activated?
I guess he didn't tell the dog, "Go! Get help!" So we're to assume he knew he was fucked, & the dog wouldn't leave him unless it was over, but personally I'd cling to hope in my note.
11
u/Royal-Archer7492 20d ago
I thought the same thing until they purposely showed the gushing river of blood coming from beneath him. I went to see it with a retired RN and she confirmed no way could you lose that much blood and survive very long.
4
u/existenceawareness 20d ago
Ah ok, I didn't gauge that. Maybe we're meant to assume he knew from his military experience too. I'd look at the deep blood puddle & think, "There's still some hope." Haha
→ More replies (1)7
→ More replies (3)5
u/MrBubbles773 16d ago
It stands to reason that James has extensive medical training and likely knew that his body was actively shutting down. James was highly determined to survived and I don't think he would've settled down unless he knew full well that he was going to die.
→ More replies (1)8
u/confusedsoulllll 21d ago
I was also desperately hoping for this one. Or that I wish they still searched for his body, but it’s just the closure that I wanted as a viewer. I was rooting neither dies.
12
u/Ironboy1998 22d ago
I missed the very beginning, what do you mean exactly?
→ More replies (1)26
u/Puppet_Reviews 22d ago
The very beginning is the scene of the girl pulling to a stop in her truck, and greeting Odin, who appears alone. Then it cuts back to 'one week ago'.
39
u/SnoopDodgy 22d ago
You see, I thought at the beginning it was going to be a fake out and Pitt's character would actually survive after Odin brought help back to him. And that his character would lose a limb (his broken left arm) just like his dog.
11
→ More replies (1)11
u/Okaysaid 20d ago
It wouldn’t of been as good of a movie imo it would still teach valuable lessons but him not making it but knowing he got Odin to the clearing or the “field” you notice it was so dark in that swamp and then when they reached the meadow it was sunny you knew that’s where James was going to die.
9
→ More replies (1)6
u/ImplementEffective32 20d ago
I've said the same, even if you want to be super optimistic that the opening scene didn't foreshadow James death, you still know the chance is there, so you're looking for it the whole movie.
116
u/linnanetheman 21d ago
THIS movie should have been called The Dog Stars. Odin genuinely outacted Brad in this.
65
→ More replies (3)8
u/mehgleg 8d ago
I saw The Dog Stars which I mildly enjoyed, and then I saw this and feel like I was blessed with a masterpiece
→ More replies (1)
137
u/ancienteggfart 22d ago edited 22d ago
I have to say I’m a sucker for dog movies, so while this didn’t break any new ground, I loved it.
The aurora borealis scene was particularly beautiful and heart-wrenching.
→ More replies (1)76
u/Scotfighter 22d ago
Why do most people in the comments feel like a movie has to break new ground in order to be considered good?
→ More replies (12)31
u/No-Pollution-2243 21d ago
Because they are snobs or just contrarians. "Popular bad, me special".
→ More replies (1)
36
u/Chm_Albert_Wesker 20d ago
If he’s going down to the plane anyway, why not grab the gun? I feel like if he has the gun he takes less damage in the wolf scene and lives
More importantly, he was so careful with the planning but every time there was an avoidable obstacle he would push through it. If he’s gonna plan a 57 mile trek at that point add the extra mile or two to go around the bridge or go around the swamp etc
48
u/Previous-Minimum5991 20d ago
The gun flew out on the initial crash when Odin got ripped out of it.
→ More replies (1)18
u/Saffs15 20d ago
Neither the bridge or the swamp were on the map. The bridge it doesnt explain, but itd never be on a map. And he says a few more miles, and weve got a nice field to cross. When he gets there, he find sits a swamp instead of a field. His info was incorrect for whatever reason.
→ More replies (3)37
4
29
u/Shep_Leoppard 19d ago
Hey yall -this is my first Reddit comment so hi! I loved the movie and I am actually a GSD owner named James .
I work at a German shepherd rescue and they were all worried about the influx of people adopting after the movie and then returning to shelters. I was like -that is always going to happen. Hopefully some folks adopt a few of these wonderful dogs and put in the work. I loved the way James passed away and I have had a few family members depart recently and to be in nature with my dog looking at a lovely sky just seems like a nice finish if you have to go. My friend I saw the movie with thought I was crazy LOL. Anyway, the nature scenes , the action the Oden -it was all excellent! Thanks for the thread.
122
u/BurgerNugget12 22d ago edited 22d ago
Thought this was a lot better than I expected, and by the end of it I found myself really emotional. I saw it in Dolby so maybe it skews my enjoyment of it but it was pretty brutal / tense at points, especially Pitt’s character being thrown against the rocks downstream. His arm being snapped in between those rocks was wrenching. The cinematography was also stunning. Pitt is great as always, but shout out to JK Simmons who delivers such a great performance in 5 minutes. A welcome return to form for Ayer after A working Man, which I just found dull compared to Beekeeper.
Side note, this movie is also destined to be a streaming / airplane film juggernaut
23
→ More replies (4)19
u/Focused_Sky 22d ago
It broke me
13
u/IgnisWriting 18d ago
I used to have dogs at my parent's my whole life. A couple years ago my last childhood dog died. Films like this break me and beat me up.
I now have cats, went home and hugged mine while I had a nice cry. Might not be the same to some people, but man, I love that furry pillow.
5
u/Nickis805crazy 17d ago
The feeling of knowing you're going to die and leaving someone you love behind, doing your best in your final moments to write a paper trusting a stranger to please take care of what you care about most. THAT part fucked me up. I cried so bad in the theatres but the people on either side of me were crying too so I didn't feel weird. Very very emotional ending
54
u/NoNefariousness2144 22d ago
Between this and Dog Stars, it has been a good month for films about dudes trying to survive in the American wilderness with a small plane and a loyal dog.
→ More replies (3)
38
u/wingedhussar1217 21d ago
Good film but how did a former green beret not have one $300 Garmin satellite device in either of those two massive trunks he had?
→ More replies (4)28
u/Metlman13 21d ago
Thank you. When he was digging through the crates, I kept asking myself "where the fuck is your radio to call for help?"
This guy goes out to the middle of the wilderness with bottles of beer, bags of jerky, medical supplies galore, a map, a compass, an even a bottle of aspirin for pain, but aside from a flare gun, he has absolutely no way to signal for help? No satellite phone, no emergency beacon, no radio?
13
u/DecidiousLarch 18d ago
He had the radio in the plane and he had no plans to go on any big hikes. He was merely camping on the beach.
→ More replies (2)7
u/SandpaperTeddyBear 9d ago
"where the fuck is your radio to call for help?"
In the boring version of this movie 😂
17
u/Joneskeez 17d ago
That cosmic aurora scene at the end with it reflecting in Odin’s eyes was beautiful . Great movie .
→ More replies (1)
16
u/Money_Record_3303 20d ago edited 18d ago
What was the point of the Pelican cases being filled with water?
If for no other reason than to watch Brad struggle bring them back up on land.
→ More replies (2)15
u/UnionLeague 19d ago
Right? Pelicans are supposed to be waterproof! He spilled out all the water but somehow the contents were still dry.
29
u/thunder0811 18d ago
Contents were in water proof bags.
8
u/Money_Record_3303 18d ago
You are correct. I’m just still wondering why they went through the effort to have water pour out of the cases. It didn’t play into any issues related to the other contents of the case that were not in dry bags.
Likely just movie making creative blah blah blah.→ More replies (1)7
u/DecidiousLarch 18d ago
Absolutely nothing is 100% waterproof. Maybe they were old and had bent lids or he didn’t seal them enough. Any number of very simple reasons.
17
u/lyssaloc 20d ago
I enjoyed the movie. I wrote my graduate capstone on the human–animal bond, so I found the movie interesting thru that lens. My research focused on how relationships between humans and animals can involve attachment, mutual dependence, emotional regulation, trauma, and grief.
I thought the movie was mainly about a military guy and his K-9 fighting for survival, but then I realized it’s deeper than that. It’s the exploration of the emotional and psychological significance of interspecies relationships. The deep connection they share was fostered by intensive training, shared responsibility, and life/death situations. It also describes the unique non-verbal communication and deep understanding between them.
Reciprocal attachment also came to my mind. The deep connection shared between James and Odin was built by intensive training, The handler is responsible for the dog’s safety, care, and performance, but the K-9 can also become a source of security, companionship, and awareness for the handler. That mutual dependence challenges the idea that a working animal is simply a tool because the interspecies relationship can become deeply personal and deeply personally and emotional complex.
Lastly — co-regulation. Humans and animals can affect each other’s emotional and physical states through proximity, routines, behavioral cues, and familiarity. For someone who has experienced trauma, the predictable presence of an animal can offer a sense of grounding and stability; a support system. For example, Odin experiencing a PTSD dream, and the panic in James’ demeanor when searching for Odin post crash.
The movie brings up important questions about separation and loss. James’ role as a handler, Odin’s retirement, reassignment, injury, or death can mean losing a significant attachment figure. Yet these losses may not always receive the same recognition as other forms of grief because the animal is often viewed primarily as a “working dog.” This is where disenfranchised grief becomes relevant — grief that is real but may not be fully acknowledged or supported by others. The fact that the relationship crosses species does not make the loss any less significant. Disenfranchised grief was central to my capstone
What I found most meaningful about the movie is that it pushes back against the tendency to view animals only in terms of what they do for humans. The K-9 has a job, but the bond cannot be reduced to that job. It is built through trust, caregiving, communication, shared experiences, and mutual reliance. In that sense, the movie reflects one of the central ideas from my capstone: the significance of an animal relationship is not determined only by what the animal does for a person, but by the relationship they share. The K-9 is both a working partner and a meaningful relational presence.
We just watched the disruption of a meaningful human-animal relationship! 🥲
The beginning and ending of the movie where an indigenous woman (assumption) finds Odin introduces and leaves us with a different version of the human-animal relationship. It’s noted that the indigenous culture has a long standing relationship with animals and the land. Animals are fellow beings rather than Odin’s original duty as a tool used by the military.
A very meaningful movie from the human-animal lens!!
→ More replies (9)
129
u/ImplementEffective32 22d ago
Some people just shouldn't watch movies. It's clear some of you guys have lost the point "counting how many of the same shot set ups" or "cgi wolves and Bears" etc etc etc. The point of a movie of a story is to lose yourself in said story, yeah the flashbacks weren't Steve Spielberg, they weren't the focus, just a piece of a big puzzle. I loved the movie overall, Odin was a beast, that dog had a lot going on in its eyes. James was trying to survive for the Odin not himself, he was more concerned with getting his dog out of there. The one thing I didn't like was the opening shot of Odin alone on the road, it didn't guarantee James death but it made it more likely, especially when James finally gets up that last hill after the bog and all you see is more wilderness and not a road in sight I knew he wasn't going to make it. The letter James writes shows what his intentions had been all along, he only wanted to give Odin a life of peace after having to live through hell. Man says here's my bank account I've got no one but Odin spend it on him, spoil him rotten since I no longer can.
Will it win Oscar's and all that no, is it redefining the "survival genre" nope there's better survival movies. It's really just about the love a man can have for his dog and love a dog can have for his human.
12
u/Royal-Archer7492 20d ago
Oh, that letter. I hope someone is able to catch the whole thing and put it on here. I read that when Brad read the script, the letter actually made him cry and he decided immediately that he wanted to be a part of the movie. I asked google if they had the actual words to the letter and they replied with a synopsis but not actual words. It actual letter was beautiful.
Also, I was surprised to read on here that someone didn't like the score. I loved it, it was pretty and flowing and appropriate to every scene. I'd like to know if the score will be available somewhere.
→ More replies (2)35
u/AStrayRaft 22d ago
A lot of people don't know how to watch movies
7
u/Saffs15 20d ago
Its honestly amazing. You know they are completely lost on how to enjoy movies when one group is saying "the dog was emotionless!" while another group is also saying "the dog had too much emotion for a special forces working dog!"
People forget movies are supposed to be entertainment and enjoyable, not always classic art pieces.
→ More replies (3)8
u/skarros 17d ago
I wasn‘t sure whether he‘ll die or not until Odin actually left him.
I could very well have imagined that after the opening shot Odin starts running and leading to James. It wouldn‘t be the first time an ending was too sad for the test audience and the studio demanded changing it, I guess. I‘m really glad it didn‘t turn out like that because it would not have been fitting the rest.
Climbing the hill especially with the piano piece playing had me worried for a while though. It felt like the typical build up to a heroic climax.
→ More replies (1)10
u/GLxDEVA5TATOR 22d ago
I walked in late so I missed the first scene. I think I prefer that knowing what I missed 🤣
18
u/Goodvibe61 21d ago
Agree completely. For me it was pretty difficult to miss the primary, fundamental point of this film. However, coming here and reading through this thread, it's amazing what some people took away from it. That's it's not about a guy and his dog; that it's military propaganda, or the score is bad (it wasn't), or some whole sections should've been removed (no, the movie was a very tight 97 minutes or so. It was tight), or there was no characterization (it's about a guy who spend 90 minutes lost in the wilderness and tries to get out; I'm not sure what clincher details Ayer missed that would've shed some kind of different light on Pitt's character). It goes on and on I guess.
LOL.
4
u/PssyGotWifi 18d ago
I really enjoyed it and was emotional throughout. Yeah, some of the flashbacks had rushed edits and were a bit sloppy but i was immersed in the story and none of that impacted my enjoyment. CGI.. is yeah, whatever, that's just the modern landscape. We always have The Edge (1997) for real bear actors, etc.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (9)9
u/Puppet_Reviews 21d ago
I think the movie is fine, but there's no shame in wanting the working parts to be better than they are.
82
u/lishmh33 22d ago
I put my hoodie on for the last twenty minutes so that everyone wouldn’t see that I was weeping. Walked out of the theater to find that everyone else was also crying.
→ More replies (7)
12
11
u/NearWestSyd 18d ago
Flew into town for work but too early to check into my hotel. So, I went to the movies hoping to see Resident Evil. It wasn’t playing until a couple hours later and all the other movies had already started and the theater wouldn’t let me in those. My only option was Heart of the Beast. I had zero desire to see this movie and by the end, I had to leave a little bit before the credits because I was openly crying. Had to keep myself from thinking about it afterwards because I would tear up. Poorly marketed but I understand why. Would give too much away. Great dog actor.
53
u/MG2339 21d ago edited 14d ago
I couldn't take the movie seriously once he suffered a massive heart attack & started swimming around grabbing his luggage. How would he even have the energy to get out of the plane? Guess those were some extra strength aspirin he was popping.
57
u/_Arriettyy_ 21d ago
He was using the aspirin as a blood thinner to relieve the clot that caused the heart attack, not as a pain reliever.
Still you are right, a lot of movie allowances. Though that wasnt the point of the movie. The movie was about their bond.
35
u/No-Pollution-2243 21d ago
It's a movie, he (with a broken arm and severe concussion) and his dog literally killed 4 wolves and incapacitated other but you complain about the heart attack not being realistic?
→ More replies (6)10
→ More replies (16)4
u/Additional-Cake-3588 20d ago
I kept thinking it was a cross over of mission impossible and cast away. How he just keeps pushing through with a heart attack.
→ More replies (2)
35
u/Cyndytwowhys 22d ago
I liked it okay and I did cry a little at the end, but no mascara was damaged in the watching of the movie.
Here’s my issue…I do not believe Oden would have ever left James. Yes, James told him to find the road and we dog lovers want to believe Oden understood the assignment. I was waiting for Oden to pull a Lassie and give the young lady signals that Timmy was stuck in the well. (I realize these are old references).
The dog, or dogs, in this movie were the stars, Brad and JK were Oden’s supporting actors.
29
u/free_bawler 21d ago
I agree. Odin would not have left James' body. Even though the movie played out that way, it still appeared that Odin hung around a few days before finally leaving.
16
u/Current-Finger6412 21d ago
Yeah, that makes me feel like Odin only stayed until he knew James was gone. I don’t think he’d have left his side otherwise.
→ More replies (4)11
u/Royal-Archer7492 20d ago
My friend and I discussed the point of Odin leaving Jame's body and decided that since the dog had seen a vast number of dead bodies during combat, and being survival-smart as he was, that he stayed with James' body until he knew James was gone, then took off to find someone. But yeah, my friend and I, like you, were absolutely hoping for a Lassie moment, and that the dog would lead someone to James. Realistically, wouldn't they have to find the body anyway? Even though James said not to look for it, wouldn't a body have to be produced in order to collect the money James left in the letter? And wouldn't the population of the little village or whatever be wildly curious and very determined to find the body and the plane? I would think so.
→ More replies (1)11
u/Saffs15 20d ago
Yea, realistically theyd absolutely search for (and likely find) him. If this woman from Alaska randomly starts withdrawing money from his account, they'd absolutely start asking questions.
And I mean, if any of us were in her shoes, we'd be calling the cops and telling them anyway. Thats just the natural thing. We learn some dude died out in the woods, have an idea where he is (he said west from that spot on the road, and its likely not far from the road, itd give an idea where he was, not to mention eh left plenty of stuff behind). We're gonna let people know.
Thats fine though. He may not have wanted to be found regardless. Thats not bad story telling, its just him giving his wishes.
→ More replies (2)
18
u/joestoker28 21d ago
Loved it hit me in the feels.
I interpreted it was Brad was saying to Odin what a loyal loving dog wants to say to his master when he dies, or at least what my dog said to me when he went. I got you, I’ll be waiting for you, go live your life
13
42
u/Varekai79 22d ago
I never thought Brad Pitt would do a dog movie. He's basically top of the top in Hollywood and can get any role he wants.
23
u/OvertonRider 19d ago
He has had bad character press recently. This movie is a safe way to get him associated with warm and cuddly family vibes
10
u/Royal-Archer7492 20d ago
Especially one where the conditions were so constantly gruesome - freezing cold water, mud, sludge, more cold, fast running water, and constant unforgiving cold. Nothing glamourous about this role, no Oceans 11 cool guy vibes. Just survival for as long as you can. Maybe that's how he's been feeling lately. Battered from all sides. Who knows? I thought he was great in it.
→ More replies (1)7
u/make_love_to_potato 20d ago
Why is brad Pitt battered from all sides? He was just in F1 which was also like Oscar nominated and got pretty great reviews etc.
→ More replies (1)48
u/MaverickDago 22d ago
Yeah but then all his kids said he's a piece of shit and he needed to get back some points.
19
→ More replies (1)14
18
u/Quinnster247 21d ago
Only thing I have to add is that I cried, along with the rest of my row seemingly, for the last 20 minutes.
Last movie to move me this much upon first watch was Aftersun.
What a wonderful song cover to open the credits with, made me want to cry in the car ride home.
15
37
u/Sufficient_Bee8819 22d ago
I want to take my wife to see this, but I need confirmation that the dog is safe before I can confidently make the pitch to her
65
u/Dove_of_Doom 22d ago
The very first scene is a flashforward showing the dog has survived and is safe now.
→ More replies (7)15
u/pigletsquiglet 21d ago
The dog is fine in the end but oh man its very sad. They knew what they were doing with the last 15 minutes and the music.
→ More replies (6)30
8
27
u/hotcolddog 22d ago
The daddyest of dad movies my god.
but it’s actually quite good! really solid direction from Ayer especially during the more intense sequences (though the occasional CGI is abysmal), and an incredibly reliable badass Brad Pitt performance. Star of the show is obviously Odin, who is played by a magnificent dog actor, “Uber”. JK Simmons cameo also great.
Shoutout to some excellent sound design and fantastic score (lot of Zimmer-Gladiator and Horner-Titanic influence) as well. As much an auditory as it is a visual experience.
Crazy how in the span of a week, 3 movies about a goal of getting from point A to B came out…and all were really good! (this + The Weight + Resident Evil).
→ More replies (10)
7
u/Northern_Exposure780 20d ago
As someone who’s had GSDs for the last 20 years, loved accuracy of how they’ll stand on the tent you’re trying to put up or stick their whole head in your backpack. Deep, intelligent eyes and that quiet alertness. Also as a GSD girlie, why couldn’t ya have just rented a damn cabin for a week, James??! With comfy beds, StarLink and road access! Give that boy a comfy retirement, let his cortisol rest ffs 😩
→ More replies (3)
4
u/PowerThrustingDave 17d ago
Really run of the mill movie. Feel like it tried way too hard and failed miserably. The ratings so far are shocking to me
→ More replies (1)
19
u/_bieber_hole_69 21d ago
Solid survival movie, and damn if there wasnt a dry eye in my theater at the end. The letter he wrote broke me.
The dog Odin deserves nothing but peace after such a turbulent life 😭
16
17
u/_Arriettyy_ 21d ago
I can see why some people don't like this movie. Its not character driven and the plot isn't new.
But as someone who has an older dog who looks and acts exactly as Odin did in this movie, the "please cry now" sign that the movie put up hit me like a truck. I wasnt crying for Pitt's character, I was crying because the bond that James and Odin had is relatable to me, and the thought of losing the thing that I love more than anything in the world absolutely broke me. And James describing that bond was so poetic.
Fuck I love that little guy
→ More replies (1)
22
u/No-Bed8211 21d ago
Sorry, but from the beginning I thought ,'He supposed to be Green Beret and he keeps making bad choices ?'. Like flying into a storm instead of staying put until it has passed, trying to get across a raging waterway instead of turning back and going a different way. I couldn't really appreciate it, though it was very evident that their relationship was the point. I kept thinking, Why all these foolish choices?
2
u/Ok-Tradition-9155 17d ago
Thought it was a nod to hubris. "I have the training and ability, I got this"
→ More replies (2)
26
u/dbtjr 22d ago
Makes me want to get a German shepherd. Solid movie
→ More replies (1)12
u/UnionLeague 19d ago
I have one. They're the best, but they're also the most common dog dumped at shelters because people don't understand their needs. I'm worried this movie will lead to an uptick in backyard breeding and, in turn, shelter overcrowding.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/BrotherShamus63 19d ago
I saw the trailer multiple times before other movies and I could have sworn that JK Simmons was the one flying the plane and having a heart attack. Am I crazy? Maybe I just mistakenly thought it was him because he had dialog in the trailer just before the crash scene. Add to that the fact that I know there were two versions of this movie, one by the director and one by Pitt, so there were probably differences. So, am I nuts or just not watching very closely
→ More replies (1)
6
u/nigerianprince442 17d ago
Knew it would be heart wrenching after the first scene but I still watched anyway. I had a feeling Watkins would be implied as “death” or the boatman once I saw the boat, interesting touch.
→ More replies (1)
9
3
3
u/DracoNguyen 15d ago
I was so happy when I saw the scene where Brad Pitt casts a fishing rod in the river in the movie, it reminded me of A River Runs Through It (1992).
4
u/Kangarou 9d ago
The war flashbacks felt overly chintzy. You don't need the orange filter to differentiate time; the environment does that well enough. Props to James. He was lucid to the very end, writing things like "Inappropriate abundance" If my stomach was leaking more fluid than a baking soda volcano, I'd doubt I could write my own name, letalone a heartwarming farewell.
61
u/ps4invancouver 22d ago
Nahhhhh I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. This was the most predictable movie ever. Zero character development other than "oh yeah they're both ex-military" and then cue the violins and piano when he's bleeding out on a rock, like the director might as well just hold up a "please cry" sign. I will say the landscapes are beautiful and you do care about Brad at the start but it's just repetitive, heavy-handed "cute doggo" over and over again. You've seen the character archetypes before, there's nothing new
Also the person beside me was crying when bro was bleeding out but after the northern lights scene, she hopped back on Gmail
10
u/Frosty-Paper2101 20d ago
Yep I agree. I feel like this movie was way over hyped and had much better potential if the production and script would’ve been more sophisticated . It just wasn’t convincing enough due to just really low effort into the making. Also, if you’re going to use CGI at least make them look real. And the whole sappy moments was way too overplayed/repetitive. I said what I said.
13
u/ninemyouji 22d ago
Re: the landscapes, if you look hard enough, you should see some overlap with LOTR backgrounds. Went on a LOTR tour in NZ a few months ago and at a couple of locations they noted they also recently wrapped filming this movie (which I had genuinely never heard of before) at those same spots.
Iirc it uses the same mountains used in all of LOTR as background shots and also shot around the same place as was used for Isengard. Probably more!
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (24)13
u/LostHero50 22d ago
The landscapes are pretty much the only thing the movies got going on. I had to keep myself from laughing when he was bleeding out and the worst piano song they could have picked starts playing.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/stumper93 21d ago
Not the greatest film, cause it's pretty one note in man and dog in survival mode in the wilderness movie. But that ending got a lot of folks in my audience tearing up.
Dog empaths be warned as you will most likely cry to this film
8
u/Appropriate-Staff366 20d ago
I was really excited to see this as I love dog movies. I've probably seen most of the big dog movies and I was excited for this as it was going to be more adult than the typical Disney type Homeward Bound. I cried at the end and I enjoyed a couple of the action scenes, but I couldn't help feeling slightly robbed and that it was a cheap emotional payoff.
It felt like there was no real journey or introspection to earn the emotional payoff at the end. Basically a perfect hero and his hero dog doing action set pieces and not really going any kind of a character arc. It felt like J.K Simmons was just there for exposition and to make sure the audience knew more about Brad Pitt's character and that there was nobody around to save them. After the accident it just seemed like a series of bad stuff happening and the characters always reacting with military precision and perfect focus. At no point does Brad Pitt have to learn to live with nature or come to terms with what they did in the war - he just slashes and hacks everything until the end of the film.
I would have liked to see more about both the dog and Brad Pitt learning to live with nature and coming to terms with what they did. J.K Simmons character could have been a Vietnam veteran who introduces some key themes from the film about how difficult it is to reintegrate into society. Maybe more around how they were duped into doing what they did in the war. There were lots of flashbacks where they killed faceless brown people and it felt like there was no real questioning of their role in the military industrial machine.
It would have been good to see Odin get back to nature and become more of a playful innocent dog again, which could hint that Brad Pitt might be able to move past the war too. Instead they just continued their ruthless killing until the end of the film. At the end it kind of felt unsatisfying that Brad Pitt didn't seem to have any prospect of being able to fit back into society. Odin maybe has more of a chance but it's hard to see him settling down with a family as there was no character arc that suggested soldiers can ever move past the horrors of war.
I didn't even pick up any survival skills I could use like "The Revenant" - I'm not sure sticking your blade onto the end of a stick and then tripping over on it is a brilliant technique for surviving (maybe keep it sheathed until you need it??)
For reference I am not from the US so I wonder if that affects why I see this film with a more critical lens.
5/10 - I wanted "Born on the Fourth of July" type character arc and instead I got Michael Bay forest military thing in the style of films like "Lone Survivor". Still thrilling, but cheap thrills so probably never going to watch it again. Without any character arc the forest and nature just felt a bit fake so not enough to make it compelling.
8
u/Optimus_Spider07 20d ago
I'm not gonna dig too much into it because I really enjoyed the movie overall. Con, some of the animal CGI was undercooked and took me out of the movie as well as the flashback transitions. That's really the only negative I have for the movie. I lost it during the aurora borealis scene and again when the girl is reading his letter. The score, the visuals, the story itself near the end, just made me tear up. I'm currently back at home with my dogs on my lap.
6
u/thinkingcarefully 20d ago
I watched this movie at the 10a showing this morning and it’s now 1a and I had to process this somehow. This movie made me feel emotions I don’t think I’ve ever felt. I have never cried in a movie the way I did in this one. Hamnet had me sobbing but this one had me silent shaking, I was genuinely scared I was going to start making sobbing noises and wouldn’t be able to stop. I was able to keep it to a silent sob but once the movie was over and I was walking to my car I began loud sobbing! Once that got under control, my husband and I ran errands for a few hours and on the way home we both started crying AGAIN. We have never both sobbed over a movie, and I have never in my life been such an emotional wreck from a movie. Did anyone else experience something similar? The movie itself was good/okay but oh my gosh the emotional impact it imparted was shocking!
→ More replies (1)
3
u/NakedGoose 21d ago
Its a well made movie. And by Ayers standards he needed well made movie. Im just not sure there is much there. My immediate and probably unfair comparison was Joe Carnahan's The Grey. I just felt like that movie did all of this, significantly better.
3
u/DizzyParamedic3196 20d ago
I have two German Shepherds, but and my youngest German Shepherd looks ( just not the fur color he’s a sable but his built and face and eyes are the same!) and acts just like Odin so much so it gave me chills and I left and cried all the way home lol my husband was just ready to get home to our babies.I got home last night and just hugged him and my big girl ( other GSD). It was so crazy knowing my youngest was either gonna be a combat dog or a K9 long story short the litter he came from all went to police and military for training but since I got buddy buddy with the breeder and my husband was getting me a dog as a wedding gift so it worked out! I got to pick the first puppy! I was getting married in a few months and My dad had just beat cancer and it just seemed fitting and special to take him with me to pick out a pup! I got so lucky to have my two pups they are special. GSD’s are just really special.
3
u/Automatic_Beat5808 19d ago
Overall, I enjoyed this movie. However, I don't think it was worth the praise that it got. The thing that bothered me the most was the monsterification of the bear and the wolves. That was pretty unrealistic for me. Also, those wolves killed that baby moose with a bite to the neck, yet Pitt's character got bit in the stomach and the shoulder and the ankle. If those wolves wanted to kill him, he would have been dead.
A few of you on here have complained that he didn't have a satellite phone, but he was otherwise prepared with snacks and beer. Perhaps he didn't want to really be rescued. Perhaps he went to the wilderness to die or at least with the idea that he might. And the whole reason it was a survival story was to give his dog one last chance at a happy life.
One more thought and comment: I saw one mention the Watkins character being Death and I like that. It goes with my previous comment.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/loevibes 18d ago
Basically, what was slowing everything down was Odin’s loyalty and his concern for James, wanting to keep him safe. Knowing Odin was going to make it, I didn’t think I was going to cry, but having said goodbye to my own 16-year-old feline warrior a few months ago, this movie hit me right where it hurt the most. It’s definitely not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
→ More replies (2)
3
u/General-Lettuce2583 18d ago
Whole time I was watching the movie I could only see myself and my dog on that adventure/going through it all. Ending broke me
3
u/Thrashy30 16d ago
I walked out of the theater and googled if a dog could win an oscar…..if I owned a dog I would still be weeping in the theater. I will be looking for a dog after this to love. They fought so hard together!
→ More replies (3)
192
u/Eltecolotl 19d ago
From the moment the movie begins you see the love of a dog in Odin's eyes. My dogs look at me that same way. As James says at the end, he showed Odin war, and Odin showed nothing but love and trust back. That is what the movie is about to me. It's about the undying love of a dog, juxtaposed to the cruelty of humanity. The movie implies that Odin had saved James in war, it was James' turn to save Odin. 10/10 for me.